Supplementing a touch input mechanism with fingerprint detection

• US 9,201,539 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hinckley, Kenneth P., Pahud, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JENNIFER T
• Application Number:
  US12/970,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1806
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1347 Preprocessing; Feature extraction

Abstract

A computing device includes a fingerprint detection module for detecting fingerprint information that may be contained within touch input event(s) provided by a touch input mechanism. The computing device can leverage the fingerprint information in various ways. In one approach, the computing device can use the fingerprint information to enhance an interpretation of the touch input event(s), such as by rejecting parts of the touch input event(s) associated with an unintended input action. In another approach, the computing device can use the fingerprint information to identify an individual associated with the fingerprint information. The computing device can apply this insight to provide a customized user experience to that individual, such as by displaying content that is targeted to that individual.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a touch input mechanism for providing at least one touch input event that indicates contact of a hand with the computing device; and

an interpretation and behavior selection module (IBSM) for interpreting said at least one touch input event received from the touch input mechanism, the IBSM including a fingerprint detection module configured to detect fingerprint information, if the fingerprint information is present in said at least one touch input event,

the IBSM being configured to use the fingerprint information to provide an enhanced interpretation of said at least one touch input event provided by the touch input mechanism, the enhanced interpretation including a determination whether at least a part of said at least one touch input event represents an unintended input action,

the IBSM enabling behavior to be performed based on the enhanced interpretation, the behavior including rejecting the at least a part of said at least one touch input event, if the enhanced interpretation includes a determination that the at least a part of said at least one touch input event represents the unintended input action.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the IBSM is configured to enhance the interpretation of said at least one touch input event by:

determining if said at least one touch input event provides non-fingerprint information that does not correspond to any fingerprint of the hand; and

using the non-fingerprint information to discriminate whether the at least a part of said at least one touch input event corresponds to the unintended input action.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the non-fingerprint information corresponds to contact of a hand portion of the hand with the computing device that does not yield fingerprint information.

4. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the hand portion has an identified pattern.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the IBSM is configured to enhance the interpretation of said at least one touch input event by:

determining if said at least one touch input event provides non-fingerprint information that does not correspond to any fingerprint of the hand; and

using the fingerprint information to interpret the non-fingerprint information.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the IBSM is configured to enhance the interpretation of said at least one touch input event by:

determining posture information which indicates a posture associated with said at least one touch input event, based on the fingerprint information; and

using the posture information to discriminate whether the at least a part of said at least one touch input event corresponds to the unintended input action.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the IBSM is configured to enhance the interpretation of said at least one touch input event by:

determining type information which indicates a type of finger that corresponds to the fingerprint information; and

using the type information to determine a type of behavior to be invoked in response to said at least one touch input event.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the IBSM associates different commands with different fingers of the hand, and wherein the behavior that is performed comprises invoking a command that corresponds to the type information.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the IBSM associates the unintended input action with contact of a pinky finger with the computing device, and wherein the behavior that is performed comprises rejecting the at least a part of said at least one touch input event that corresponds to the contact of the pinky finger.

10. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the IBSM associates the unintended input action with contact of a thumb with the computing device, in conjunction with a prescribed orientation of the computing device, and wherein the behavior comprises rejecting the at least a part of said at least one touch input event that corresponds to the contact of the thumb.

11. The computing device of claim 7, wherein said determining involves determining that two or more fingers have been applied to the computing device.

12. A method for processing touch input events provided by a computing device, comprising:

receiving at least one touch input event from a touch input mechanism that indicates contact of a hand with a display surface of a display mechanism;

interpreting said at least one touch input event received from the touch input mechanism, involving detecting fingerprint information, if the fingerprint information is present in said at least one touch input events

the interpreting including determining whether at least a part of said at least one touch input event represents an unintended input action, using the detected fingerprint information;

rejecting the at least a part of said at least one touch input event, if the interpreting includes a determination that the at least a part of said at least one touch input event represents the unintended input action.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining identity information which identifies an individual associated with the fingerprint information; and

providing a user experience via the display mechanism that is based on the identity information,

wherein the user experience involves associating identified content with the individual and storing the identified content.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining identity information which identifies an individual associated with the fingerprint information; and

providing a user experience via the display mechanism that is based on the identity information,

wherein the user experience involves presenting identified content on the display surface that is associated with the individual.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein plural individuals interact with a centralized or distributed display surface, and wherein the user experience involves presenting, for a participating individual, content on the display surface that is associated with the participating individual.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the content that is presented for the participating individual is presented in spatial association with the participating individual.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining identity information which identifies an individual associated with the fingerprint information; and

providing a user experience via the display mechanism that is based on the identity information,

wherein the user experience involves invoking at least one of a command and menu that are customized for the individual.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said detecting of the fingerprint information involves determining a type of a finger that has contacted the display surface.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising presenting different user experiences for different respective fingers that contact the display surface.

20. A computer readable medium that includes a hardware storage device storing computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions providing an interpretation and behavior selection module (IBSM) when executed by one or more processing devices, the computer readable instructions comprising:

logic configured to receive at least one touch input event from a touch input mechanism that indicates contact of a hand with a display surface of a display mechanism of a computing device;

logic configured to interpret said at least one touch input event received from the touch input mechanism, comprising logic configured to detect fingerprint information, if the fingerprint information is present in said at least one touch input event, and logic configured to use the fingerprint information to provide an enhanced interpretation of said at least one touch input event from the touch input mechanism, the enhanced interpretation including a determination whether at least a part of said at least one touch input event represents an unintended input action;

logic configured to reject the at least a part of said at least one touch input event, if the enhanced interpretation includes a determination that the at least a part of said at least one touch input event represents the unintended input action;

logic configured to determine identity information which identifies an individual associated with the fingerprint information; and

logic configured to provide a user experience via the display mechanism that is based on the identity information.